Norwegian Jewel vs Norwegian Bliss

The Norwegian Jewel was built in 2005. It was renovated in 2022. It's 13 years older than the Bliss, which was built in 2018.

Comparison Overview

Ship Size

The Jewel is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 965 feet long and 125 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.7 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 11-story building. Compared to the Norwegian Bliss, the Jewel is 44% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Norwegian Jewel holds 42% fewer passengers than the Bliss based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Jewel has less space per person compared to the Bliss.

Norwegian
Jewel
Norwegian
Bliss
ClassJewelBreakaway Plus
Gross Tonnage93,502168,028
Length9651,094
Beam/Width125136
Passenger Decks1115
Passengers (double occupancy)2,3304,004
Crew1,0691,716
Passenger to Crew Ratio2.22.4
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)3942


Food and Restaurants

Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.

The Jewel has 18 different dining options like Teppanyaki, La Cucina Italian, and The Great Outdoors. Of those options, 10 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 7 options have an additional fee.

The Bliss has 10 more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Los Lobos, Garden Cafe, and Ocean Blue. 11 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 17 have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Bliss might be a better choice. It has 56% more dining options than the Jewel.

If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Jewel might be a better choice then the Bliss. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.

Restaurants on Norwegian Jewel & Bliss

Norwegian
Jewel
Norwegian
Bliss
American DinerLearn More
Cagney's SteakhouseLearn More
Chin Chin
Coco'sLearn More
Dolce Gelato
Food RepublicLearn More
Garden CafeLearn More
Horizon Lounge
La Cucina ItalianLearn More
Le Bistro FrenchLearn More
Los LobosLearn More
Main Dining RoomLearn More
Moderno ChurrascariaLearn More
O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar & GrillLearn More
Observation Lounge
Ocean BlueLearn More
Q Texas SmokehouseLearn More
Starbucks
Studio Lounge
Sushi BarLearn More
TeppanyakiLearn More
The Bake Shop
The Great OutdoorsLearn More
The HavenLearn More
The LocalLearn More
Topsiders Bar & GrillLearn More

Bars and Drinks

Norwegian's Great Outdoors Cafe
Norwegian's Great Outdoors Cafe
Norwegian's Social Comedy & Night Club
Norwegian's Social Comedy & Night Club

The Norwegian Jewel has 5 fewer bars than the Norwegian Bliss.

Norwegian
Jewel
Norwegian
Bliss
A-List Bar
Atrium Bar
Bliss Ultra Lounge
Cellars Wine Bar
District Brew House
Great Outdoors Cafe
Magnum's Champagne & Wine Bar
Maltings Beer & Whiskey Bar
Mixx Bar
O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill
Observation Lounge Bar
Sake Bar
Shakers Martini & Cocktail Bar
Skyline Bar
Social Comedy & Night Club
Spice H2O
Spinnaker Lounge
Starbucks
Sugarcane Mojito Bar
The Cavern Club
The Haven Bar*
The Local Bar
The Pit Stop
Topside Bar
Vibe Beach Club Bar*
Waves Pool Bar
* = this bar is exclusive and not open to everyone.

In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.

You can check out recent the bar menus for the Jewel and the Bliss below.



Pools and Hot Tubs

The main pool on the Norwegian Jewel
The main pool on the Norwegian Jewel
Main pool deck on the Norwegian Bliss
Main pool deck on the Norwegian Bliss

Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The problem is that with thousands of people on a ship, there's not always room. If you want to spend all day for 7 days in a pool, a cruise isn't for you. You would have a much better bet choosing a resort with a huge pool complex. That being said, a quick dip in the pool can be nice on a hot day.

The Norwegian Jewel has a total of 3 pools and 5 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 1 of the pools are adults only. 1 of the pools and 1 of the hot tubs are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.

Norwegian Bliss has more pools than the Jewel and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Bliss. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.

Norwegian
Jewel
Norwegian
Bliss
Total Pools34
Pools - General Access12
Pools - Adults Only11
Pools - Exclusive11
Total Hot Tubs511
Hot Tubs - General Access45
Hot Tubs - Adults Only2
Hot Tubs - Exclusive14



Ship Features and Activities

Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. On the Jewel, 60% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Bliss, only 59% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.

Norwegian
Jewel
Norwegian
Bliss
Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee)
Adult Only Relaxation Area (free)
Arcade
Basketball
Casino
Cigar Bar
Cigar Lounge
Comedy Club
Fitness Center
Jogging Track
Laser Tag
Mini golf
Observation Lounge
Race Track
Shows - Broadway play
Shows - musical review
Spa
Splash park
Thermal Suites
Water slides
Learn moreLearn more

Cruise Costs

Norwegian is a mainstream cruise line. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.

Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Norwegian Jewel will likely be cheaper than on Norwegian Bliss.

Onboard Costs

Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.

Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.

The table below will help you understand what you might spend onboard a Norwegian ship.

Norwegian
Base Daily Gratuities*
(Per Person Per Day)
$20.00
Tip added to drinks & services20%
Soda Price$3.50
Domestic Beer Price$7.00
See drink menus
Drink Package Price$109
Learn more
Internet Plan$29.99 - $39.99 per cabin per day, with $5 for each extra device
*Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates.

Norwegian Cruise Line offers a More at Sea fare. Through this program, guests receive open bar, a discount on excursions, some free internet, and some meals at specialty restaurants. If you book using this promotion, you'll be responsible for the gratuities on the dining and drink package. If you won't be using these options, booking a "sail away" rate that doesn't include the More at Sea benefits is considerably cheaper. Also, most of these benefits are the base packages; you can spend more to upgrade to better alcoholic drinks or faster/more wifi.

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